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As we enter Fall in New England there are going to be many visually stunning scenes to enjoy in nature. But in these days of ubiquitous cell-phone cameras I become dismayed that it seems the majority of 'leaf-peepers' automatically reach for their cell phones to 'capture the moment.'

I was impressed at a recent concert I attended that the show began with a statement from each band member requesting that the audience "use their eyes as the camera and their ears as the recording device." The band (King Crimson) knew full well that no recording on a cell phone could possibly capture the sounds they were playing and that no 'snap' or cell phone video could fully encompass the experience of actually being present.

Presence - being fully aware in this very moment - actually nourishes us. In fact it can literally build and heal the neuronal network of our brains. Being in nature during a New England fall is a wonderful chance to experience presence. In brief, the simple practice involves a) being alert for when a pleasing vista unfolds before us, b) pausing in our often relentless urge to move on to the next thing, c) setting aside, as best we can, potenetial distractions, and, d) opening all our senses to imbibe the beauty of what lies before us - as if you were slowly sipping a delicious drink through a straw.

A more comprehensive description can be found in Dr Rick Hanson's teachings on "Taking in the Good". The practice can be extended to 'taking in the good' of any positive event that happens in your life, but the opportunity offered by fall colors can be a great starting point.

Speak, if what you have to say is more beautiful than silence. Arabic saying

In Fenway Park there's a men's room right across from the ramp leading out into the stands near home plate. The men's room is diagonally across from the hot pretzels ($5, with mustard) and the sausage sandwiches with onions and peppers ($7.50). This particular men's room has 74 urinals with no partitions. Yes, as a matter of fact, I did count them, while I was waiting in line to use one. That's right, every single one was taken. I know this may be more information than you needed on men's rooms, but, be patient- I am aiming higher. So, I took my turn, and the guy on my left turns to me and says "trops". I was so startled at this breach of etiquette, I could only say "What!?", because, in fact, I had no idea what he was communicating by "trops". He repeated: "trops". Still shaken and trying to collect myself and wanting to end this unwanted exchange, I said "Yup!".

He continued: "The 'troughs'- I miss the troughs they used to have here". Inside, I tried to breathe and remind myself that this whole unpleasant exchange would be over in a whiz, but I had to consciously keep from calling an attendant to come and take away the man at urinal #54. In other words, I'd been triggered.... By what, I asked myself.

Well, for one, men's public urinal etiquette has been established for thousands of years. You stand in front of the urinal. You may look down or straight ahead, but never to the left or right. And you never, ever, speak to anyone while urinating. I don't know that these rules have ever been written down and I do not find anything on an internet search of "Men's public urinal etiquette". Nonetheless, the understanding of these rules, I believe, goes back to the Babylonians who had porcelain troughs and, at least for the patrician class, there would have been a designated place to stand at the trough. In other words, there's a lot of weight behind these expectations of how to behave under these circumstances....

Okay, so maybe the triggering was also connected to a bit of homophobia. Phobia means fear, and I think it is fear that is at the root of almost all triggered behavior. What I say to my patients in my office in regard to behavior in relationships is that there are two rules: 1) Never speak or act from a reactive, triggered place because there will never, ever, be a good harvest; 2) See Rule #1.

So how do you not react from a triggered place? It is from this triggered place that we are absolutely convinced of the 'rightness' of our position. The word 'rightness' is very close, entymologically, to the word 'righteousness'. One important thing I have tried to practice for many years is that when I recognize the physiological signs of triggering, or 'an arrow going in', I try to breathe. When I feel startled, surprised, fearful, angry, hurt, these feelings will be experienced in the body, and one response to those feelings is to gasp, or stop breathing. When I am able to take a breath, I increase my chances of being able to take a second breath. And if I can do that, then I am putting some distance between the stimulus and the response. And with that distance, comes an increased possibility of making a conscious response, rather than a reflexive one.

So, what this meant on that night at Fenway was that, instead of saying something hostile or angry, or making a scene by calling for an attendant, I could breathe, zip up and leave- a reasonable stream of thought, yes?